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+----- Thread: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread (/showthread.php?tid=929)
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - Ska'dForLife-WBA - 05-12-2014
(05-12-2014, 23:24)WBA-Josh Wrote: Who is a Paul Mardon? I'm assuming he is one of our old players from previous decades?
1990s stalwart, our first international in about a decade when he got capped for Wales, and scored the winner at Molineux in 1994 when we did the double over Wolves for the first time in donkey's years. Prone to the odd shocker like most of our players back then, but some fond memories of Taffy Mardon too!
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - Bournemouth Baggie - 05-12-2014
Think it'll be:
Foster
Baird Baird Baird Baird Baird
Baird Baird Baird Baird
Berahino
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - Squirrel Regis - 05-12-2014
Bang on Ska'd lol !
Remember going to Bristol away and he was sat next to us in the away end cos he was out injured and joined in all the songs (badly !)
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - Ska'dForLife-WBA - 06-12-2014
Love it
I remember Marek Cech doing the same when we played Old Trafford under RDM (came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2). Wish it'd happen more often; the players need to get off social media and actually mix with fans every now and then.
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - Squirrel Regis - 06-12-2014
Did you see the Dortmund players were pulling pints in the bar to say sorry to their fans for recent bad games ?
That's quality !
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - drewks - 06-12-2014
Regarding those points Josh made re Valera's fitness, it is definitely the case that he still needs match fitness.......however if it were me, I'd START him, and when his batteries are obviously running out, take him off. This would give him a chance to influence the game from the start and also put us more on the front foot for the first half or so.
If we're in a tough close encounter after 60 mins, will he be brought on? Probably not - then an opportunity to get his levels up would be lost; starting him would (IMO) seem the more sensible option
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - Ska'dForLife-WBA - 06-12-2014
(06-12-2014, 00:26)Squirrel Regis Wrote: Did you see the Dortmund players were pulling pints in the bar to say sorry to their fans for recent bad games ?
That's quality !
Josh is the man for German football (I tend to lean towards the States, where MLS is also surprisingly unpretentious - certainly by typical American standards - and you see players joining fans for barbecues and stuff) but everything I see and hear of the Bundesliga always sounds light years ahead of the mess which is football in this country. Can you imagine Anelka or Odemwingie pouring drinks down the Vine to say sorry?
I don't think it could hurt Albion in the slightest to take a few small leaps in that direction, even if the prima donnas kicked and screamed at first. Maybe after they got past the shock and horror of mixing with us hoi polloi, they'd remember a few home truths and actually enjoy themselves.
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - WBA-Josh - 06-12-2014
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/borussia-dortmund-players-pull-pints-for-fans-at-christmas-party-to-apologise-for-poor-performance-9900630.html
The above is a link to the Dortmund players being bartenders for the Christmas party. It is a nice thing to see and it shows that the players really do appreciate the fans. I think if WBA ever did that, say after a bad relegation season, I think we would see some of our older players do it such as Foster, McAuley, Lescott, Brunt and Morrison. Maybe even Anichebe and Pocognoli would also do it.
Drewks, I understand your point but against Hull tomorrow, I think that it is likely to be a tight game with not many clear cut chances especially in the first half. Due to this I think it would be a waste if we started with Varela and, due to the game's tightness with neither side wanting to take too many risks and expose gaps, he has little impact before coming off. I would rather we save him for the final 20 minutes and utilise his his pace off the bench against their tired defence to swing the tide in our favour.
If I'm wrong and the match is an open end-to-end contest with lots of chances and both teams trying to exploit each other then not starting Varela would still work out because Berahino and Sessegnon can run the Hull defenders ragged for the first 60-70 minutes and then Varela and Ideye come on to hurt the tired defenders even more, finish them off and win us the game.
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - Ska'dForLife-WBA - 06-12-2014
The thing is, stuff like this becomes reciprocal. Despite him being (in my opinion) an unfortunate part of our ongoing troubles while he's played out wide, I don't think Brunty deserves half the stick he gets just for being on the pitch. If he was to be a part of something like this, and meet fans face to face, the crowd wouldn't be so quick to get at him and you wouldn't get all the social media fallout which comes with it. It's that gap between the players and fans which breeds the toxic atmosphere.
I acknowledge that stuff like the Albion Foundation and the trips to Russells Hall/Sandwell General/Brum Childrens Hospital at Christmas are gestures in that direction by the club and players, but it's not enough. I'm sure the players Josh named would be up for a more widespread fan-oriented initiative, and you might even get a few other faces, but these days it all just seems focused towards saft YouTube vids and Twitter pics. Albion fans, you're only allowed to see your heroes through a screen or past a line of stewards; that's the message they send out.
RE: Hull vs WBA - Match Thread - WBA-Josh - 06-12-2014
In Germany, the fans and the players all have a great relationship. Even now with Dortmund's troubles, the fans and the players still have a great relationship. There are no planes flying over the stadium with a banner saying "Klopp Aus", there are no fans running onto the pitch to throw their season tickets at Klopp.
In France, the recent game derby between Saint Etienne and Lyon finished 3-0 to Saint Etienne and I have a video that I want you guys to see. It's after the match and the players and the fans are doing the Saint Etienne chant where the 2 ends between the goals take it in turns to sing at each other. The players take part in this. After Etienne's last home game last season, the fans were allowed on the pitch to join their players in a celebration of their 4th place finish. This included the players signing one of the clubs song which then led to the players and the fans having a big jump around together in unison.
When we had our great 2012/2013 season where we finished 8th, there was nothing like that. There was the usual players walk around the whole pitch and clap the fans but nothing special. When we have a great win, half the stadium empties within 5 minutes and the players clap the fans and then disappear down the tunnel.
The relationship between club and fans is really at a low level now and things do need to be changed to rectify this. I look at the Saint Etienne fans with envy because the relationship that they have with their club and the players is what we should have with ours. Of course some of our fans don't help matters by constantly slagging off players like Brunt and spending the entire 2nd half of a match mocking and bullying the Head Coach.
EDIT: The video can't be played on here but you can follow the link to see it on youtube. The players in the dressing room at the end doing their song and dance is what they did with the fans on the pitch at the end of last season.